


The Forgotten

by PrincessMekaBunny



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sad, TW: Mention of Dead Children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 06:49:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18686302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessMekaBunny/pseuds/PrincessMekaBunny
Summary: Every year, Xander goes away for a couple of days but never tells anyone why, not even his retainers. His siblings decide it's finally time to learn just where it is he's going and what he does.





	The Forgotten

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there everyone~
> 
> This is something I wrote based off of one of my friend's headcanons~ She thought that perhaps there were other siblings aside from the main ones but they didn't quite make it ^^; So I got inspired to write and this is what I came up with~
> 
> Hope you all enjoy and sorry if I made you sad XD

“Big brother!” Elise happily called out as she skipped through the halls, looking for her older brother Xander. Clutched firmly in her hands was a flower crown that she made herself and wanted to bestow onto her brother.

She finally reached the front of the castle where she found her older brother packing up a caravan with his two retainers. She noticed as well that her other brother and sister were standing and watching from the sidelines in silence.

“Hey! Camilla! Leo!” Elise called out as she joined up with her other siblings. Camilla smiled when she saw Elise coming their way whereas Leo took a quick glance before continuing watching his brother from afar. She asked the both of them, “What’s Xander doing?”

“It’s that time of year again,” Leo answered first. “When he goes away without telling us where or why.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t think it’s been a year yet.” Elise said, looking back at the caravan. “He’s going to be back soon right?”

“Oh yes, of course.” Camila said with a reassuring smile. “He’ll be back tomorrow by nightfall.”

“Phew! That’s good!”

“Why don’t you give that to Xander before he leaves?” Camilla said, pointing down at the flower crown. “Maybe he’d like it for his journey.”

“Oh! Good idea! Thanks big sis!”

Elise happily ran over to Xander just as he took to the driver’s seat of the caravan. She stopped and waited while he finished his conversation with his retainers.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to come?” Peri asked, with a devilish smile creeping on her face. “We can have some fun with some Hoshidans on the way.”

“That is quite the… intriguing offer Peri but I’d rather not escalate things with the Hoshidans anymore than they need to be. Besides, this is something I must do alone.”

“Don’t have too much fun without us,” Laslow said, nudging his side. “I’ll feel insulted if you come with a beautiful woman in your arms without one for me too.”

“I can guarantee you that won’t happen Laslow.” Xander said, letting out a sigh shortly afterward. He turned to his side and noticed Elise standing there waiting for him. He smiled at her and said, “Hello Elise, is there something you wanted?”

“Oh! I wanted to give you this before you left big brother!” Elise said, handing over the flower crown. “I made it myself!”

Xander took a moment to examine the flower crown from top to bottom and side to side. A small smile grew on his face. “This is perfect Elise, thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome!” she replied happily.

“If you excuse me, I must be off now. Hiyah!” Xander whipped the reins which caused the horses in front of him to move. She stood and waved goodbye to him as he rode off. She began wondering just where it was he went off to each year. Previous years she would always ask him but he would always tell her she needn’t concern herself with it. Being told such an answer would always make her feel frustrated but she always assured her that it was nothing against her, and that everyone needed their secrets. She eventually learned to accept it but she still couldn’t get over her curiosity.

“Hey, Laslow, Peri,” Elise said, turning to her brother’s retainers in hopes that a different approach would work this year. “Just where does Xander go each year?”

Peri shrugged to Elise’s question while Laslow said, “I’m sorry milady, I wish I knew. He won’t tell us anything regarding this affair.”

“That’s weird that he won’t even tell his retainers…”

“Yes, it is.” Camilla said, as both her and Leo joined the group in conversation. “If something were to happen to Xander while he was alone, no one would know where he is or how to help him.”

“I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about Lady Camilla. Lord Xander can handle his own.” Laslow responded.

“Probably,” Leo said, interjecting. “But tensions with Hoshido are high. I wouldn’t put it past them to plan an ambush that even he can’t handle if word got out about his disappearance.”

A glint appeared in Elise’s eye, realizing that this was a perfect opportunity to satiate her curiosity.

“We should follow him!” she said enthusiastically. She waited for a moment and saw that all eyes were on her, with most eyebrows being raised curiously. “You know, to make sure he’s alright!”

“You just want to see where he goes off to each year, don’t you?” Camilla asked, which caused Elise to blush out of embarrassment that she was found out so soon. “Well, I don’t blame you. I am quite curious myself. Perhaps it is time that we learn just what it is that he does.”

“I don’t need to know.” Leo said in a huff, turning away and walking away from the conversation. “I’m not going to be held responsible if you two find out.”

“If I may, Lord Leo.” Laslow said, bowing at him. “Perhaps this bit of information will be of interest to you. When Peri and I were helping him pack, we noticed that the back of caravan was filled with flowers.”

“Flowers?” Leo repeated curiously.

“Yes! All different types!” Peri said enthusiastically. “I don’t think there was anything else back there! They were so pretty too!”

Leo hummed as he came up with hypotheses on why Xander needed so many flowers. Elise ran over to him and tugged at his arm, trying to get him to join them. “Come on Leo! Let’s find out together as a family!”

Leo let out a sigh and groaned. “Fine. I’ll come but only because I want to know about these flowers. It’s quite unlike him to make such a purchase and in such a quantity too.”

“Yay!”

*****

It didn’t take long for Camilla, Leo, and Elise to catch up to Xander. The three royals flew on the back of Camilla’s wyvern and followed him in the skies, completely out of sight. Laslow and Peri stayed behind and covered for their disappearances in case anyone needed them.

For the duration of the trip, the three siblings shared theories on what it was Xander could be doing with the flowers. Camilla thought that Xander had a secret lover that they meet each year and he brings them for her. Leo thought that perhaps Xander was going off to burn the flowers as a means to release any pent up anger he’s accumulated over the year. Elise wasn’t sure herself. She thought that they could be for their sister Corrin who was at the Northern Fortress but Xander was going a completely different direction from her home.

Eventually, Xander stopped at a small forest that no one seemed to recognize. He grabbed a hand full of flowers from the back of the caravan and entered the forest, becoming hidden from sight thanks to all of the trees. Camilla lowered her wyvern and parked it just a short ways away from the caravan.

The three siblings followed along the path. The atmosphere was dark and eerie to Elise. There was a cold wind that blew against her skin which made her shiver. She looked to Camilla and Leo and saw that they seemed to be unfazed by the atmosphere of the forest so she decided to be brave and not let it get to her.

Eventually, the three managed to find Xander who was kneeling down in front of something. They all ducked behind some bushes and listened carefully, trying to see if they could hear anything.

“This was made by your sister,” Xander was saying. Elise noticed that he placed the flower crown down on the ground. She angled her vision slightly and noticed that what Xander was kneeling in front of was actually a grave. “She made it with a lot of love. I think you deserve it more than I do.”

“A grave?” Camilla asked softly.

“Hmm…”

The three watched in silence, seeing what Xander would do next. He remained there in silence, looking as if he was praying which confused them even more.

“You can come out now,” Xander eventually said, which surprised the three of them. “I know you’re there. Leo, Camilla, Elise.”

Leo grumbled, not liking the tone of voice Xander was speaking in. They had no choice however now that he knew. They all came out from the bush and into the open space Xander was in. They finally got a good view of the area and realized that the area wasn’t just a forest with a grave, it was a cemetery. By Elise’s count, there were at least a couple dozen graves.

“What is this big brother?” Elise asked with awe.

Xander remained silent, which only made the tension of the situation grow.

“Xander?” Camilla pushed.

“I wanted to tell you three about this place eventually… but it never seemed like a good time… Or perhaps I was too scared to tell you.”

Xander rose up and stepped aside so that his siblings could get a clear view of the grave. Elise stepped forward and read the name on it. “Ramon Nohr”

“Nohr?” Leo repeated. “Like us?”

Xander nodded. “Let me tell you three a story. Back when I was little, I didn’t have many friends. I was kept away from other children my age due to being the crown prince. As Camilla and Leo are aware as well, I had to be kept away from them as well for a time. We all come from different mothers and everyone thought that exposure to my siblings would corrupt or distract me from becoming worthy of the throne. I wasn't allowed to mingle with anyone until I proved myself worthy of being the crown prince.

One day, I met this little boy who was just a year or two younger than I was. I was playing just outside of the throne room when this woman came up with this boy. She said that she had some business with the king and asked if I could play with her son. I don’t think she knew who I was or she wouldn’t have asked.

The boy and I played and we bonded. He told me that when he grew up, he wanted to be a knight. He looked up to the soldiers of Nohr and wanted to be just like them and serve the king. I told him that I wanted to be a king one day myself and he was happy for me. That day we made a pact to make our dreams come true and that one day, we could live them together. He would be my retainer once he proved himself to be a valiant knight and serve under me once I ascend the throne. He was a bright young lad, very optimistic. I will never forget his smile.

Eventually, a couple of Nohrian soldiers came and he was escorted away. We said our goodbyes and he went with the soldiers happily. I’ll never forget the last words he spoke to me. ‘Don’t forget about our dreams! We’ll see each other again!’

Years went by but I never forgot about him. I began checking the enrollment of the soldier programs in Nohr and his name never appeared in any of them. Eventually I grew curious and looked into the matter further. And well…”

Xander grew silent, with tears beginning to form in his eyes. Elise could feel her heart drop, she knew that what happened to the boy wasn’t going to be good.

Leo stepped forward and said, “That boy was Ramon, wasn’t it?”

Xander nodded and wiped away a few tears. “It turns out his mother was one of our father’s mistresses. That day she went in demanding his favour and to be a part of Ramon’s life. She stood up to him… and she was executed for it.”

“No… that can’t be…”

Camilla placed a hand on Elise’s shoulder to comfort her, but it didn’t do much for her. Tears began to well up in her eyes with disbelief.

“It gets worse…” Xander continued. “Ramon was executed too. There was a chance they could’ve been lenient on him but the soldiers that took him away reported that he was playing with me. So… he disposed of him.”

Everything was silent. Elise was in complete disbelief, unsure what to say. Leo and Camilla were trying to process the information being presented to them.

Xander looked out across the graveyard, eyeing each grave. “Camilla… Elise… Leo… This graveyard… It’s full of our lost brothers and sisters and their mothers. Ones that you never knew of… ones… I never knew of.”

“Every… single one of these?” Elise asked in between tears.

Xander nodded. “When I found out what happened to Ramon, I found out that there were other incidents. Our father… he was a selfish lover and bore many children from many different women. A lot of these women tried to gain his favour as well. Some would use their children to fight to the death and prove to father that their child was strongest in hopes that he would accept them into the fold. Some of their deaths ended in needless bloodshed, some of their lives were taken by their own mothers. Ramon’s was the only one that father ordered. At least, that I know of…

When I found out about just how many brothers and sisters I had… I had to do something to honour their lives. Father wanted their names wiped from history and pretend like they didn’t exist but… I’m not like him. I don’t want them to be forgotten, even though I never knew them. So I built this graveyard in this remote forest just outside of the capitol and I come out here each year to honour their lives. I put flowers on each of their graves and tell them what’s been going on during the year. I sleep here during the night as well, so I can spend time with them. It’s the least I can do…”

Xander let out a sigh and examined his siblings. There were grim expressions on both Camilla and Leo’s faces and Elise was still crying. He expected such a response from his siblings. After all, it wasn’t a happy tale he had to tell. He wondered if perhaps he should’ve held off on telling them. But, they did need to know eventually and now that they found him, he couldn’t have kept it a secret any longer.

“Xander, I just have one question…” Leo asked, breaking the silence. “Our mothers also tried to gain favour with father. Why did we get to live?”

Xander began scowling thanks to Leo’s question. “That… I do not know. Perhaps the other mothers didn’t view you three as a threat? Or perhaps they didn’t get to you yet before they killed each other off? Or perhaps you three were the only ones father could save… Or maybe the only ones he wanted to keep and accept into his fold...”

The three stood in silence once again, the only sound filling the forest was of Elise’s crying.

“Camilla… Leo… do you two not remember what happened with your own mothers?” Xander asked, tensing up from asking such a question.

“I’m afraid not, no.” Camilla said. “I don’t remember much before Corrin came into the picture. I replaced those memories with happy ones with my family.”

“All I know is that my mother and I weren’t very close. She just never came back one day and I didn’t mind. That was also the day before I met you Xander.”

“Hmm… interesting…” Xander said, holding his chin as he thought. He gazed down at Elise and saw that the tears hadn’t stopped yet. He kneeled down to her level and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Elise… I’m sorry you had to find out this way…”

“Just…” Elise tried to speak. “How many… are here…?”

“… There are eleven mothers and thirteen children that are honoured here…”

“So many…” Camilla said with sorrow.

“Listen to me Elise,” Xander said, looking at his sister. “I know that this is a lot to take in, but you have to remember that these children… our brothers and sisters… it’s not our fault. Yes… it’s a tragedy that they were taken from this world so soon, before we got to know them… but we were given our chance to live, so all we can do is honour them. We remember their lives. Do you think you can do that?”

It took a moment, but Elise managed to fight back the tears. She looked up at Xander and nodded, which made him smile. “That’s a good girl. Here, let me introduce you.”

Xander took Elise’s hand and guided her back to the first grave. He looked down at the grave and smiled. “Ramon, this is Elise, our youngest sister.”

“Hi Ramon… it’s nice to meet you.” Elise looked down and noticed the flower crown Xander had placed there earlier. She bent down and picked it up, placing it on top of the grave as if the tombstone was wearing it itself. “There, that looks much better on you.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Camilla said as she joined Elise. “It makes it look a little less dreary.”

“Ramon, this is our sister Camilla as well.” Xander continued. “And brother Leo is here as well.”

Leo took a look at the grave, unsure what to do. He waved at it without saying a word, hoping that the acknowledgement would feel like enough.

Xander took Elise’s hand and took her to the next grave on the right. “Laila, this is our sister Elise. And Elise, this is our sister Laila.”

“Hi there Laila.” Elise said, waving at the grave.

“I was going to get some flowers for her next.”

“I’ll do it. I have to check on my wyvern anyways.” Camilla said just before she left.

“I’ll help.” Leo said as he followed suit.

Elise looked down and examined the grave. She began to scowl, feeling a sense of emptiness as she looked at it. “Xander… do you think you can tell us when you’re coming here again next year? I want to come again and bring flower crowns for everyone, not just Ramon.”

Xander couldn’t help but smile, thinking about how sweet his sister was. “You know what Elise? I think they would like that. I think they would like that very much.”


End file.
